Episode 201: Joshua

Official Synopsis: At the age of 14, Joshua was badly beaten by his girlfriend’s father – two years later he was molested by the leader of his youth group. He turned to heroin to cope with his traumas.

Update: Joshua Lee Turek passed away on March 23rd, 2017. It was reported to me that he died of a heroin overdose. Condolences to all the people who loved him, of which there were obviously many.

Note: Joshua commented below that he was not molested by his youth group leader and resents A&E’s inaccurate depiction of him in this episode.

Discussion

49 Responses to “Episode 201: Joshua”

He looked like a completely different person when they showed his update! He looked so healthy and happy. Very sad he went back to his old life. Maybe when/if Alex agrees to also go to treatment they can both stay healthy.

That follow up was a heartbreaker. I wish this episode wouldn’t have been a double. There was so much to Joshua, so adorable and funny and so deeply sad. I wanted to hear more from him. we hardly heard from his family except for his mother, and barely were introduced to his friends who seemed so genuinely caring and loyal.

I think both of the episode’s stories could have easily been single episodes. A majority of the episodes this season have been doubles. Obviously they can’t get as deep into the story as they could if they weren’t so limited on time.

On the one hand, having 2 interventions per episode means that more people are getting the opportunity to go to treatment, which is great. But I wonder if the producers aren’t trying to milk the shock factor of various addictions, instead of really delving in to how they got to where they are.

I thought it was strange that this episode featured Joshua who is from Rocklin (my town) and the previous featured David who is from Roseville – which is literally a mile from Rocklin. Bordering towns. Why not combine them? Agree – we hardly saw anything about Joshua.

I so hope this is true. I wish there was a way to contact him. I am a survivor of sexual abuse and want him to know that his story can help so many people. He has such potential and could save someone else’s life

So sad to see that Joshua went through almost 7 months of sobriety and gave it all up. He looked so healthy and happy when his mother visited. What a handsome guy with so much potential. I hope there’s a happy ending somewhere in the future for him…

This was such a heartbreaking episode. Erin gave up quickly, after just 10 lousy days. I could not believe how great Josh looked and thought he’s going to do good things with his life now. How he managed to stay clean and away from Alex for so long and then just decided to go back to her one night is beyond me. I just am shocked. Very disappointing ending for both people. And yes I agree, they each could have been their own episode.

This episode broke my heart! Erin’s son is about the same age as my daughter. Watching his little soul go through this right alongside his mother broke my heart. She left after only TEN days?! She needs to wake up and put her little boy first, before herself.

And I’m the same age as Joshua. He had so much potential. He’s a very handsome guy who seemed genuinely ready to be sober. His recovery seemed so promising. When I read his update at the end of the episode, I said out loud “OH NO!”
I hope both Erin and Josh find sobriety and happiness.

Josh is now one of my best friends, we met in rehab and became really close. He is actually doing okay now. He disappeared like a fart in the wind July 4th weekend and called me later that day. He had hopped on a plane to LA and was already high when he called me. He got high for a week and is now at his sisters house in Oregon and he says he’s sober again. Anyway he sounds good. I don’t think he and Alex are doing that well though.

I’m glad to hear that Joshua is doing good. His story was upsetting. However, I did find the scene where his friend, Ryan shooting up very disturbing. Do you know anything about him? I wonder if they are in contact or were just drug buddies..

Yes he is in Oregon, this is his sister. Unfortunately, though he stayed sober for about a month in Oregon he has since relapsed and is with Alex yet again; we all fear this will be the deciding factor in his lasting health and the health of his son.

After further research I found her name is Sylvia from episode 32 and she was on the episode with Erin and Joshua aka XT the Factor and she was Erins Interventionalist. Sylvia is on YouTube talking to Jeff about how she got sober and went back to school and got her masters in addiction specialist! That’s awesome and amazing! A wonderful happy ending.

This episode was very disappointing at the end of the show as well as a big surprise to me. Both of them just gave it up without seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. especially Josh, who looked so much healthier and great spirits. I’m just sad and sincerely hope Josh and Erin will seriously think of their family and friends’ love for them. Treasure your life ! Take care

Yes he is in Oregon, this is his sister. Unfortunately, though he stayed sober for about a month in Oregon he has since relapsed and is with Alex yet again; we all fear this will be the deciding factor in his lasting health and the health of his son.

Josh has a son? I guess for privacy reasons that was not revealed in his portion of the episode..
You can do it Joshua! You have a huge heart, our world needs your love in it. You are worth your health and happiness. Light up that smile Josh, and share it with us; you deserve joy.
-from an intervention fan in Rocklin

Breaks my heart for Josh. He looked SO great after being clean. I can only pray that he and Alex find God (their idea of God- not talking religion it’s not for anyone to decide) and find their way back to a program. I am a recovering alcoholic and perfection is not expected, but if working a program, progress is. Co-dependence is obviously a drug of sorts as it led him back to Alex and the drugs. So very sad. I will pray they find their way! He lives a few towns over from me when he was in Rocklin.

This is Joshua . I would like to start off by saying I was blessed beyond my wildest dreams to have been chosen to be on the show and receive the treatment I did . With so many addicts who apply and are in just as low and desperate a place as I was in I can only see gods will in my life . I would like to set the record straight on a few things and air out my grievences with the show and their negligence or ignorence in telling someones story let alone the most revealing and personal details . First of all I was never molested by my youth group pastor , when I was fourteen my girlfriends step dad assaulted me (beat me almost unrecognizeable) in the pastors office of the church I was attending Lords Gym/abundant life fellowship in Roseville ca ,while the pastor and another church member stood outside the door exclaiming they needed to let their spouses know they wouldn’t be attending bowling that night . Regardless a family friend who worked with my mom started sexually assaulting me shortly after that incident . That abuse continued for another year until I had enough and erupted in a violent rage resulting in me attacking him with a kitchen knife and having to be pulled off him by my uncle who was drunk in another room . Now that I set the record straight on those very important details I want to touch on . The editing and arranging of my segment of the episode was not only completely out of sync and misleading , in my opinion it failed to touch on many of the struggles I was facing and many of the hardships and wrong turns I took in my life that lead me to a life of addiction and crime . It didn’t at all adress the addiction in my immediate family and the fact it had been a part of my everyday family life since before I’m sure i had become aware of it . It inadvertently demonized Alex and instead of giving any history on the dynamics of our relationship it just briefly shows her looking strung out and enabling me . I’m not sure why they didn’t involve my son in the episode , frankly thats the one thing I can say there producers did that was responsible . My story was completely manufactured , fractured and lacking in any personal connectivity . I’m sorry to say but this episode In no way represents myself my struggles and is shotty journalism at best . I am sorry if I have offended anybody or appear to be blame shifting , there is no easy way to explain my life especially not in 17 minutes but this episode is a work of poor half truths and major media exploitation of a very sick person and his family . I have sent them at least a dozen respectful e mails asking the show and A&E to take down the false information about me being molested by my youth pastor , which appears on several websites , but they have yet to even respond to e mails . I’m no lawyer but that seems like slander if not something much worse , public humiliation causing emotional distress . I would like the show the channel and anyone who has the authority to know that I would like that taken off their websites immediately and issue a public apology for their negligence and refusal to change in a reasonably timely fashion . Thank you all for your concern and kind words , my life is an everyday struggle and I will fight addiction for the rest of my life . If anyone in your family suffers from addiction and there is anything I can do to help email me at joshalghul@gmail.com thank you again

Thank you for commenting Joshua. I hate hearing that the producers edited your episode to such an extent. I have my concerns about the over-producing and editing of all of the episodes of the season you were on, but I still like to believe that we’re watching relatively accurate depictions of the addicts and their families. It’s painful as a fan of Intervention to know that they’re manipulating us, I can’t even imagine how it must feel as someone who was actually featured on the show to have your struggles so misrepresented. I’ve added a note to the episode description and I hope that A&E listens to your requests. All the best to you Joshua.

I agree 100% Dizzy. It makes me wonder what else is fake. Like if some of the follow ups are fake. One of the rehabs they sent someone to many seasons ago I went to and it was probably one of the worst experiences of my life. The staff was verbally, emotionally and psychologically abusive to the point that they made my friend stand up in front of a mirror and call herself a piece of shit in front of all the staff. One staff member even sent me a Facebook apology about the way the place was ran after she was fired and the psychologist admitted to having moral issues with the way the place was ran as well. Because of that horrific experience I am weary of rehabs and wonder if all of them are as great as the intervention subjects say, however I have been to one really good rehab so I know it’s possible. Anyway sorry to ramble but it disgusts me that they would lie about people like that on the show and makes me second guess their motives sadly.

Really? – just like I don’t know you, not even your real name, you don’t know Joshua and judging him so harshly isn’t a kind thing to do. As someone who is the same age as Joshua and has been sexually abused and is a heroin addict I can speak from experience. In this case the abuse comes before the addiction and though it may not be an excuse it is an explanation. According to the book “The Body Keeps The Score” about post traumatic stress disorder by Dr. Bessel Van Det Kolk, someone who has been sexually abused is 6000% more likely to become an IV drug user. People who experience such devestating things tend to self medicate, and sometimes the medicine becomes a problem in and of itself. However, that is no reason to judge someone. It sounds as though Josh is doing the best he can. Some days just staying alive is all I can do, I imagine it’s the same for him.

RIP Joshua. You are from my area and you will be missed. Thank you for sharing your story, even reaching out on this board. Rocklin lost a homie but now you are a force in the universe. Rest easy buddy. We love you.

Joshua was able to bless my life with his presence. His is back with Alex currently and they are both on a road of destruction. Alex is absolutely toxic to any positive aspects Joshua tries to create in his life. I personally got to get to know them both separately and together and I can with out a doubt say that they both will not stay sober if they keep trying to preserve the security net of always having eachother to fall back on in their lifestyle of using. They are not good for eachother and nothing good coming from them being together point period blank. They are currently transits of the sacramento area and have basically burned every bridge they had. They have done everyone who showed them kindness wrong and basically only have eachother left to fall back on. I helped them out and did nothing but try to make life easier for them and was one of the only friends they had left at this point and they decided to steal my belongings to be able to get money to support their addiction. It makes me sad… I thought they were better than that especially Joshua but the drug has a hold on him. I hope he makes the right choices sooner than later…

Hi Lisa. Unfortunately, it is true. Dizzy has Joshua listed on the Post-Intervention Deaths section, and you can read other posts here discussing his loss. RIP Joshua. Condolences to his friends and family.

This is the first time I had ever Google’d anyone after watching Intervention. Before they even showed the update at the end of the show, I had grabbed my phone to see what I could find. He exuded a wonderful energy, even through the screen. I was shocked to read that he recently had passed away, and in a way it validated the strong urge I had to find out more about this young man. RIP Joshua. Your story hits very close to home, I know all attempts to help you were attempted, in so sorry the desires of the flesh took you from the world. You had a lot to offer, if you could only see yourself how we saw you in such a short period of time getting to know you. Xo

Awe I just rewatched his episode in his honor since I saw he passed away. He was an awesome guy. I read his passage above where he said A&E portrayed him wrongly so I kept that in mind when watching. RIP babe, you will be missed, you were such a cool and caring guy. I’m sorry you weren’t dealt the best hand of cards in life. I am 3 yrs clean from opiates and I wish you couldve won the battle with me. 🙁 RIP hope you’re at peace. Fly high. XOXO to friends and family members. P.S. I lost a childhood best friend to boy (RIP Kari M., her mom is trying to raise awareness now.) this year and it was really tough so I know what you’re going thru and my <3 goes out to you.

I was in detox with Joshua in Austin. One of the most incredible souls I’ve ever met. We had the same addiction. I am a better person for knowing him. What a tragedy it is for those that have to live their life without him in it. And what a tragedy it is to walk through life without knowing, or getting the chance to know my special friend, Josh. I’m so sad for the family.